The National Pork Producers Council, today at its annual business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum, in Indianapolis, awarded scholarships to five college students who intend to pursue careers in the pork industry.
The 2016 winners of the $2,500 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarships – named after the late NPPC vice president from Mt. Olive, N.C. – include Kaleb Sargent of Clinton.
Kaleb is a senior at North Carolina State University majoring in animal science and agricultural business. He has taken advantage of job shadowing opportunities as well as internships to learn about the many facets of swine production. Upon graduation, Kaleb hopes to begin his career with a swine integrator and also to operate his own livestock and crop farm. Kaleb is the son of John and Janet Sargent.
The other 2016 scholarship recipients are:
Matt Kerns, Clearfield, Iowa, senior at Iowa State University.
Lexi Marek, Riverside, Iowa, junior at Iowa State University.
Madison Shafer, Goodhue, Minn., freshman at South Dakota State University.
Morgan Weinrich, Yuma, Colo., junior at Colorado State University.
NPPC administers the scholarship selection process; the CME Group sponsors the scholarships. The scholarship program was introduced in 1990 by CME Group and NPPC to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the CME Live Hog futures. The scholarship was renamed in 2006 to honor the passing of NPPC Board of Director Lois Britt. A lifetime supporter of agriculture, Britt spent 34 years with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, finishing out her carrier for 15 years with Murphy-Brown LLC doing public and government relations. She was inducted into the NPPC Pork Industry Hall of Fame and the N.C. Pork Council Hall of Fame and awarded the N.C. 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award among her many achievements.
This is the 26th year of the CME scholarship program, which recognizes outstanding youth in the pork community. To be eligible, students must be undergraduates in a two-year swine program or a four-year college of agriculture, provide a brief letter describing their expected role in the pork industry, write an essay on an issue affecting the pork industry and submit two letters of reference from professors or industry professionals.